mash, but we have a great stew tonight and the fish and chips are to die for. Enjoy!"
She retreated through the door at her back to another smattering of applause, and two young men and a middle-aged woman came in through the same door and started to take orders.
Anna looked around. There were maybe thirty people in the room - if seven were werewolves, that meant that there were twenty-three police officers. Which seemed like a lot until she laid eyes on Leslie. The FBI agent was sitting beside a giant of a man who looked as though he could do his share of shoving people into lockers. He made two or maybe even three of Leslie and, while she talked to a pair of plainclothes police officers, he kept a big hand on the back of her neck. This must be the football-playing husband Leslie had talked about.
If everyone had brought a date, the numbers made more sense. She caught sight of one of the two Cantrip agents, the one who was not Heuter. His name had started with a P. Patrick...Patrick Morris. He was talking to Goldstein. So it wasn't just police officers here. She decided to avoid him if possible, just in case he shared Heuter's views on werewolves.
Leslie looked up, saw Anna, and waved her over. In the two hours that followed, Anna found herself shuffled around from one table to another, answering questions about being a werewolf. In a quiet moment, she pointed out, rather grumpily, to Leslie that there were six other werewolves - Isaac and his five pack mates - in the room. So why was everyone asking her questions?
"All the wolves are answering questions," Leslie replied. "But you're easier to talk to - women aren't as threatening as men." She thought about it. "Most women, anyway - I know a few that would scare any person with a modicum of sense. But you're approachable. And you are going away soon. So if they offend you, they don't have to live with the consequences."
So Anna explained, over and over, that werewolves could control themselves when they ran as wolves - though they tended to be hot-tempered. Yes, all werewolves had to change during the full moon, but most of them could change whenever they wished it. Yes, silver could kill a werewolf - so could beheading or a number of other things. (Bran thought it important that the public not perceive werewolves as invulnerable.) No, most of the werewolves that she knew were staunch Christians and none of them that she knew of worshipped Satan. Once, she recited a few biblical verses to prove that she could do so. She'd have been more exasperated about that one, but there were things out there that couldn't quote scripture (not that she told them that).
"Your husband's a werewolf, right?" said one young man as she walked by his table.
"That's right," she told him.
"You ever have sex as wolves? Is it different from normal sex? Do you like it better?" He grinned hugely and took a swig from his glass, obviously thinking he'd gotten one over on her. But Anna had been raised in a household of men - her father, her brother, and all of her brother's friends who thought of her as a little sister. He'd had a lot of friends.
"You ever have sex with your mother?" she asked casually. "Was it better than with your girlfriend or did you prefer it with your boyfriend or your pet rat?"
His jaw dropped open and the guy nearest him slapped him on the head and told him, "And that is why you are never going to get a date, Chuck. You see a pretty girl and the things your mama taught you about politeness and all the IQ points you can't count on your fingers to keep track of just leave your head - and then you are compelled to open your mouth. Women are not impressed by crudeness." He looked at Anna. "He apologizes for being a dumbass. He'll feel really bad about it in about four hours when he starts to sober up. He's really a good cop and not usually - " He looked at the offending man and sighed. "Well, okay. There's a reason he doesn't date much."
"How did you know I had a pet rat?" said Chuck in a tone filled with awe. He was really drunk and had probably missed the point of everything anyone else had said in the